Module 10

Wikki Wikki Wow Wow!



First task was the visit the Bookleads Wiki to find out more about blogs. The first think I noticed was that they had a glogster page embedded into the site. Cool! I randomly selected some links and explored the Wikis on the links. The next site was 50 Web 2.0 ways to tell a story. It is a great way for students to publish their stories or even other text types!



The Wetpaint Central Help and Support site was explored. It is necessary to have a support site to help members with any technical issues.

The Bloom's Taxonomy Digital map is a great resource to visually indentify where Web 2.0 and the digital world fits into the taxonomy. Most students in my class who rarely reach the creating level (the highest level) when completing reading and writing tasks, were able to create vodcasts (videocasts) and blog this year. Perhaps this is where Garner's MI theory needs to be used alongside Blooms with another MI level "Technical". That way, students who are not achieving the higher thinking levels in linguistic or logical areas, for example, can achieve in the "technical" word and their abilities are not ignored.


This version of Bloom's Taxonomy helped identify that some students are achieving the higher thinking levels. In terms of planning, I can see that students can create a digital product in order to achieve the higher thinking levels. However, based on experience, "googling" needs to be explicitly taught, as students are often overwhelmed by the wealth of information available and do not have the skills to sift through it. By teaching them ways to Google particular keywords, it would help them proceed up the levels in the taxonomy.


I would place Second Life into the Taxonomy based on the uses. If Second Life was just used to explore and meet people then it would fit into the 'remembering' level. It is also a game that they are playing and they need to use a number of skills, so therefore it fits into 'applying'. The same applied for Flickr. Uploading images fits into 'applying'. If they categorise images with tags, then the students are 'analysing'. Finally, in terms of mind mapping (such as Bubbl.us), students could be categorising their thoughts (understanding), editing their mind maps (applying) and linking ideas (analysing).


The final reflection post on the WetPaint Wiki is:

What role do you see for using Web 2.0 tools in your own life as a learner and as a member of online communities?

Web 2.0 plays an important role in my life as I use them to share my own work with others and to view what others have shared. I believe online communities are vital to ensure that knowledge is shared with many. I use Web 2.0 tools such as YouTube and Facebook to share images and video with family and friends. As a member of an online community, I need to ensure that the content I share is current, relevant and safe for all to view.

How can Web 2.0 assist in improving learning outcomes for all students?

As mentioned in my Module 10 post, by many of the products created using Web 2.0 tools allow users to achieve a higher level of thinking in the Bloom's Taxonomy. Students need to be motivated to learn. Without that motivation, learning does not occur. Web 2.0 tools seem to motivate students in a way that teacher's could have never imagined. Blogs allow students to create posts in a "real world" context. There is a reason for their writing - it isn't isolated. They have an audience and produce a better product because they know this audience is there. The audience is other students, and not just their teacher. They work harder. I've seen kids who HATE editing edit their own blogs so that it is correct. Student's eyes have lit up at the thought of creating vodcasts to sell our school to students overseas. When the motivation is there, the learning happens. When more learning occurs, the learning outcomes are achieved and extended.

How can we use wikis as a joint KNOWLEDGE construction tool in our learning spaces (virtual or physical)?

Wikis help students share knowledge. When students record information in their workbooks in class, only them and the teacher are their audience. When they publish information in a wiki, the audience then becomes the Wiki members! Other students can comment to praise of critique others' work. Students can add information to a wiki page so that every member of the class is a valued member in the construction of the page. I have used retrieval charts in the classroom, where the class are given a topic and must work together to complete the chart. Imagine a wiki as a retrieval chart, where each child works to complete the task. Student contributions and what they need to research can be varied depending on students' abilities, so that every child has the ability to be a useful and valuable member of the task.

I think I'll have a go at creating the Wetpaint Wiki in the summer holidays and link it to my blog.


Signing off! Happy holidays everyone!


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